Branding Day at Paintrock

Paintrock Canyon Ranch in Hyattville, Wyoming, is at the base of the Bighorn Mountains

July 3rd, 2025

“See the one-eyed cow?”

“Yes,” I fibbed.

“They’re watching out for her.” He said moving on, gesturing towards the cattle and the other wranglers.

I couldn’t spot the one-eyed cow because the largess of the situation took over all my senses. Today was Branding Day at the Paintrock Canyon Ranch and I had a front and center, wide-eyed glimpse into ranching life for the first time in my life. On that early July morning the cacophony of hundreds of cows with their calves rose in chorus to the skies above. The corralled cattle circled up as herd animals do, stomping hooves protecting their babies, while the outer ring moved sentinel. Many had beautiful twisted asymmetrical horns but didn’t use them. They’re not that kind of breed. Inside the pens they were packed safely head to heel, side to side while outside the pens we gathered in anticipation alongside the horses under the shimmering summer sun. Branding happens once a year at cattle ranches and that day—my lucky day—it belonged to Paintrock.

“Branding Day is like our Christmas,” Madi said during one of her breaks working the calves. She stood sweet straight in the eye, whip strong and willow-like in the red gingham, lace-trimmed sleeveless blouse her grandmother made. A member of the Phillips family (who founded Ranchlands) Madi explained how neighbors come together to help neighbors and how the experienced ropers guide the younger riders while children (hers included) watch, play, ride, learn and participate in a day that’s as much a celebration of Western ranch culture and lifestyle, as it is a day of hard, sweaty, dirty, necessary and satisfying work that ends with a well-earned shared meal of refried beans, tortillas, all the fixings and cold beers—as promised, as delivered.

It’s a day of hands-on herd healthcare—an opportunity for ranchers to assess their animals. The Phillips raises Beefmaster cattle. It’s “the first American compost breed that’s heat, drought and insect resistant…Beefmasters are intelligent, gentle cattle that are truly a pleasure to work with.”¹ Moreover Beefmasters, “according to the Lasater philosophy of cattle-raising…prioritizes practical traits like fertility, hardiness, and disposition and working in harmony with Mother Nature.”²

As Paintrock’s branding irons grew red hot in the propane fueled fire, we mulled about with hot coffee and breakfast burritos out the back of a truck. My game plan was to stay out of the way, happy just to take it all in from the sidelines and not cause any potential glitches or trip ups.

Roping started quietly and well before the sun set high ablaze. There were no big announcements, speeches or a starting bell. One wrangler just mounted up, sat solid in her saddle—and as she arranged her rope and reins, others followed. From that point on, the work would be over when the work was done.

One by one, the calves roped by wranglers were taken through to the team of ranch hands who did all the things: branding, vaccinations, ear notching, castration and dehorning as necessary. Kind of like the pit crew in a NASCAR race, everyone has a job and it’s done as efficiently and humanely as possible—while making time for the know-how to be passed along. It’s all of two or three minutes a roped calf is tied. Then it’s released to lope off to its mother to nurse, to calm, and grow up running the 80,000 acres of Paintrock’s beauty in meadows, limestone slopes and red cliffs.

It was a privilege to be included in this yearly gathering of horses, cattle, families and neighbors, when horsemanship and practical skills come together. Ranchland’s philosophy is rooted in a living practice that’s proactively “preserving the biodiversity of American grasslands at a large scale.” They’re committed to education and the legacy of ranch culture—while responsively refining ranch stewardship into a management model that includes a multitude of voices, intergenerational knowledge and diverse resources from both ranchers and environmentalists.

This was a gift to witness. And a hell of a way to close out my days of riding with guest instructor, Cam Schryver.

In time and in my way, I’ll share more about my remarkable experience in Wyoming with the extraordinary humans and horses of Paintrock. The stories, the sage brush, the immense sky—the mourning doves, cold rivers and all that’s in between—is I’ve learned, deep in my bones.

Thanks for reading. I’m so glad we’re here together.

~ Alice

1. https://www.thecattlesite.com/breeds/beef/46/beefmaster/

2. https://ranchlands.com/pages/our-story